Police: 'Person of interest' in killing may be in Mexico

Basilio Cerrillo, 58, shows a photo of his daughter Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana that was taken during her quincea&#241;era in hopes the photo will help find her killer. The young woman was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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SANTA ANA – The grieving father of a young woman found stabbed to death in a Santa Ana alley says the way his only child was killed is "unforgivable."

Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds in an alley in a residential neighborhood in the 200 block of North Laurel Street near First Street about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday.

She was 21, full of life and her boyfriend from San Francisco was going to ask for her hand in marriage this weekend, her father, Basilio Cerrillo, 58, said.

Cerrillo says the last time he saw his daughter alive was about 5 p.m. Tuesday. She asked to borrow his car to go to the gym, and he reluctantly agreed because she had failed her driver's test twice, he said.

'"She called me about 7 p.m. and said; "Daddy, I'm on my way home,' " Basilio Cerrillo said in Spanish.

But his daughter never made it home. Instead, a Santa Ana police officer showed up at his door about 9 p.m. and said they found his car parked in an alley behind businesses that face First Street and that his daughter may have been kidnapped, Cerrillo said.

"He wouldn't tell me more beyond that," he said.

Eventually, Cerrillo and his wife, Maria, went to the alley where her body was discovered – about three miles from their home. He said they saw about 20 officers in the alley, but they wouldn't let them cross the crime scene tape.

"I haven't been able to see my daughter," Basilio Cerrillo said on the verge of tears.

"I hope they catch the killer so he can rot in jail," Basilio Cerrillo said. "My daughter did not deserve that death. She didn't deserve that," he said as he held a framed photograph of his daughter's quinceañera.

Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said detectives are following up on leads provided by the victim's father, friends and people in the neighborhood where the young woman was found.

"I don't know what the motive is, but I suspect based on the type of injuries she received that it was one of anger or passion," Bertagna said.

Police on Wednesday night identified Luis Antonio Garcia Morales, 24, as a "person of interest" in the killing.

Bertagna said Morales and Cerrillo were previously involved in a relationship.

"He has been attempting to rekindle the relationship and the victim had no interest," Bertagna said.

Investigators suspect that Morales "lured" Cerrillo to the area where the stabbing took place. Morales reportedly lives in the neighborhood where Cerrillo's body was found.

Morales on Wednesday morning told family and co-workers that he was heading for Mexico to deal with "family issues," Bertagna said.

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Basilio Cerrillo, 58, shows a photo of his daughter Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana that was taken during her quinceañera in hopes the photo will help find her killer. The young woman was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Police on Wednesday night identified Luis Antonio Garcia Morales, 24, as a “person of interest” in the killing of Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21.
Basilio Cerrillo, 58, talks with reporters about his daughter Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana. Cerrillo was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A resident of the 200 North Laurel Street, in Santa Ana, where Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds, takes a moment at her memorial. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Candles glow with light in Thursday's early morning at a memorial in the Santa Ana alley where Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds in Santa Ana Tuesday. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A motorist stops Thursday morning at a slowly growing memorial where Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds near First Street in Santa Ana. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A cross is part of a slowly growing memorial in an alley where Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds near First Street in Santa Ana Tuesday. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A memorial slowly grows in size in the Santa Ana alley where Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds on the 200 block of North Laurel Street near First Street about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A van approaches a memorial Thursday morning that is slowly growing in size where Maria Isabel Cerrillo was found with multiple stab wounds in an alley on the 200 block of North Laurel Street near First Street about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Basilio Cerrillo, 58, shows a photo of his daughter Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana that was taken during high school. Cerrillo was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Basilio Cerrillo, 58, is urged back inside his home by family as he holds photos of his daughter Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana while talking to reporters. Basilio Cerrillo hopes publicizing his daughter's photos will help find her killer. She was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Santa Ana police officer keeps an eye on an alley in her cruiser near where a woman was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. The victim has been identified as Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A woman who was found stabbed to death in an alley Tuesday night has been identified as Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana, authorities said Wednesday. Cerrillo was stabbed multiple times and detectives are trying to determine what led to the stabbing, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. KEVIN WARN, FOR THE REGISTER
A Santa Ana police officer puts up crime scene tape after the body of Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana was found in an alley in a residential neighborhood in the 200 block of North Laurel Street. Cerrillo was stabbed multiple times and detectives are trying to determine what led to the stabbing, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. KEVIN WARN, FOR THE REGISTER
Santa Ana Police officers and detectives meet after the body of Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana was found in an alley in a residential neighborhood in the 200 block of North Laurel Street. Cerrillo was stabbed multiple times and detectives are trying to determine what led to the stabbing, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. KEVIN WARN, FOR THE REGISTER
Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna holds a press conference for news media after the body of Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana was found in an alley in a residential neighborhood in the 200 block of North Laurel Street. Cerrillo was stabbed multiple times and detectives are trying to determine what led to the stabbing, Bertagna said. KEVIN WARN, FOR THE REGISTER
Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana. COURTESY OF SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Police tape is what remains of an investigation in Santa Ana near where a woman was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. The victim has been identified as Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Basilio Cerrillo, 58, talks with reporters and shows photos of his daughter Maria Isabel Cerrillo, 21, of Santa Ana in hopes the photos will help find her killer. Cerrillo was found stabbed to death Tuesday night. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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